Graeme Souness warns Antonio Conte he could face this problem at Chelsea

Graeme Souness believes Antonio Conte could face a challenge in keeping his fringe men happy

Conte has named the same starting XI for the last six Premier League on the spin with Chelsea notching up seven consecutive wins.

A lack of European football and exiting the EFL Cup in the fourth round means the Blues boss has limited opportunities to give his back-up players game time.

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“That's a hard part of managing football clubs in the modern game, keeping the ones on the fringe happy”

Graeme Souness

Cesc Fabregas, Michy Batshuayi, Oscar and John Terry have barely figured for Chelsea this season.

But Souness believes Conte can justify leaving them on the sidelines with his current formula working well.

Souness said on Sky Sports: "As a manager, that's what you want.

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Cesc Fabregas has barely figured for Chelsea this season

"When you've got a big group of players, and every Champions League team today carries a big group of players, you're working with around 30 players.

"At any given time, you've got about five out injured and you can only play 11.

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Summer signing Michy Batshuayi has spent most of the season on the sidelines

"That leaves you with eight or nine players saying to themselves and others in the dressing room: 'I should be in this team.'

"If you're winning every week, you can't say anything, it makes your job very easy and that's a hard part of managing football clubs in the modern game, keeping the ones on the fringe happy with such a big squad."